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DoD News Briefing

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Q: Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you whether the U.S. is willing to participate in enforcing a no-fly zone over Cyprus which could avert the crisis over the S-300. And alternatively, I would like to ask Mr. Tsokhatzopoulos whether Greece would agree to such a proposal if it was a voluntary moratorium of flights over Cyprus.

A: Well, we are looking at ways in which we can reduce tensions in Cyprus. The minister and I talked about a variety of mechanisms that might be explored. The most important thing is to reduce the tensions to get the parties to not take actions which will only accentuate those tensions. The no-fly zone is one possibility that could be explored, but we have not made any determination on what the results should be in terms of how we achieve this reduction of tensions.

Minister Tsokhatzopoulos: Yes, but this is something we have discussed very openly with my colleague here, Mr. Cohen. The installation of the S-300 in Cyprus, well, obviously, this is something which reflects the situation of crisis in the country.

I think it's true to say that it would be in the interests of both countries, basically, for tension to be reduced; in fact, for substantial dialogue on the Cyprus issue to be embarked upon, because the problem of the area here is not if you increase and add to your defense systems in place in Cyprus. The point is that, basically, you have to embark upon the dialogue in order to find a solution to the Cyprus issue. So my answer on this would be that one has to take into account the fact that there is an excessive arming -- excessive amounts of armaments in the northern part of Cyprus. And I've said this publicly, in fact, that we ought to have a policy of demilitarization.

In fact, President Denktash -- President Clerides, rather, has already sent a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations in which he is proposing a demilitarization of the island and that we should have a gradual withdrawal and all-out demilitarization of the island, therefore. And thereby, possibly, one could envisage the non-installation of the S-300 system.

But of course, if the other side has no volition for embarking upon on a dialogue, if the other side does not, in fact, accept the no-fly zone, which if one had very clear-cut guarantees for this, you would have a partial demilitarization -- partial air demilitarization and then that's to be extended for the whole of Cyprus -- if those two issues are not in any way accepted by the other side, it's very, very difficult for the Cypriot government, thereby, to unilaterally move to disarmament.

And this is something that we have, in fact, discussed. We've said that a very substantial effort should be undertaken for dialogue on the Cyprus issue to be commenced.
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Secretary Cohen: Maybe if I could just address this one quickly. First, let me add one footnote to the question about Cyprus because she jumped in quickly with the question to the minister.

We think it would be a mistake for the Cypriots to deploy the S-300. We think that that would only add to tensions, rather than decrease them. And so we are hoping that no such deployment will take place.

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Q: There have been some criticism that statements coming from Washington like what you just said that the S-300 deployment will add to tensions and not decrease them. Without such statements that have been accompanied by other statements that the US will not accept any military action by Turkey, the interpretation of that is that Turkey is encouraged toward military action.

That's my first question and then I have another question on Kosovo.

Secretary Cohen: We are not encouraging Turkey to take any military action. As a matter of fact, I visited Turkey earlier this year and met with all of the officials and encouraged them to bring about a peaceful solution to the tensions that exist in Cyprus.

So I have made this clear in Turkey in public statements, also when I was in Greece. So there should be no mistake that we are in any way lending support for any kind of aggression on the part of Turkey.
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Q: Mr. Secretary, did you discuss the violation of the (inaudible) treaty which the Greeks signed to put more armament in the Aegean islands, decreasing the tension in the Aegean?

Secretary Cohen: We discussed ways in which tensions in the Aegean can be reduced. There were a number of discussions that we had to produce a reduction in tensions, yes.
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Q: The first question is putting some more arms for the Aegean islands in violation of the (inaudible) treaty? Could you discuss that?

Minister Tsokhatzopoulos: Mr. Cohen answered already to you that, he discussed it. But if you asked me, if you ask me about this perspective, then I wish to give you an answer.

Is this so?

Q: Yes.

Minister Tsokhatzopoulos: If you are asking me about this problem --

Q: Yes.

Minister Tsokhatzopoulos: Okay. (Inaudible.) I cannot understand how it is possible to say that the Greek government puts more weapons in the Aegean Islands. The Aegean Islands is the place, as you know, that they are staying as the only regime in Europe under threat from the Turkish side.

And through the principles from (inaudible) country that stay under threat from outside has the elementary right to defend and to protect his own national territory. What is unnatural about such a question?

And it exists already a lot of decades and, on the basis of the Lausanne agreement, is any question about the borders or the possibilities area in the Aegean very clear, so that's not necessary to put in doubt or to exist question about this problem today.